An ironworker died after falling 23 feet (seven meters) from a steel girder at a construction site.

Before the incident, the victim was welding steel bar joists to steel girders. It is believed the victim was moving to weld the next bar joist and pulled on the welding cable, causing the cable connector to separate and the victim to lose his balance. He fell headfirst to the ground.

Although fall protection equipment was available, the worker wasn’t wearing it at the time.

The investigator concluded that, in order to prevent similar occurrences in future, employers should:

• Provide and enforce the use of personal protective equipment.
• Develop and implement safe methods for handling welding cables while working at heights.
• Consider and address worker safety in the planning phase of construction projects.
• Consider the use of other approaches, such as elevated work platforms, to safeguard workers from falls.